1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mooring device for boats. More specifically, the invention relates to a mooring device which can be used to secure a boat to a dock or to another boat, and which can be locked in place.
2. Related Art
Numerous devices are known for use in mooring and handling boats. These devices commonly use some kind of hook or cleat to attach to the boat. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,731 to Young discloses a boat handler having a hook element 18 which can be rotated to close it on an anvil piece 14 so that it captures a cleat 24 on a boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,563 to Wurdack discloses a mooring boom for attaching a boat to a wharf or the like. The boom is secured to the boat by a mooring clamp 64 adapted to be connected to a mooring bracket 34. The clamp 64 is formed of two half rings 66 and 68 which are locked together by a pin 70 (see FIG. 9). The clamp ring 66 is pivoted to a bifurcated swivel 72 connected to the end of the boom to provide a universal connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,651 to Jalbert discloses a mooring means including a pivoting hook 25 for securing a boat to a dock.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,983,243 to Bowers et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,700 to Hart disclose remotely operated shackles (16 and 20, respectively) for use in mooring a boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,545 to Hedman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,368 to DeGraaf et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,638 to Ilves et al. disclose mooring devices which are pivotally attached to a stationary structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,013 to Nunziato et al. discloses a telescopic mooring pole.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,083 to Billings and U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,551 to Matson discloses mooring devices comprising a rigid tubular sleeve, attaching members at the ends of the sleeve, an elastic member attached to the attaching members and passing through the sleeve.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,926 to Wright et al. discloses a mooring device including a telescoping arm attached to a dock at one end and a boat at the other end by pivoting brackets. The bracket at the boat end incorporates a sliding, locking mechanism (see FIG. 2). U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,250,827 to Booker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,838 to Grimes, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,150 to Faber, Jr. also disclose mooring arms with a telescoping structure; and that the patents to Wright et al., Grimes, and Faber, Jr., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,926 to Vance disclose mooring arms incorporating one or more hinges.
Many of these devices, such as those of Wurdack, Hedman, Ilves et al., De Graaf et al., Booker et al., Hart et al., Grimes, Tortorici, Vance, and Faber, are intended for permanent or semi-permanent attachment either to the boat or the dock. Also, many of these devices, such as those of Wurdack, Hedman, Matson, DeGraaf et al., Hart et al., Tortorici, Vance, and Faber, do not permit movement of the boat between a docking position and a boarding position. Still others, such as those of Young, and Nunziato et al., can be used to handle a boat but not to moor it. Further, the prior art devices do not provide for locking both at the dock end and the boat end. Some, such as those of Billings and Matson, do not even provide for a lock at one end. It is to the solution of these and other problems to which the present invention is directed.